In communication systems, signal amplifiers are employed to boosts the amplitude or power of signals to facilitate the reception and transmission of signals. For example, a communication device may employ a low noise amplifier (LNA) in a receiver in order to boost the strength of a weak signal received from a remote communication device to a sufficient level for processing and data recovery. As another example, a communication device may employ a power amplifier (PA) in a transmitter to boosts the strength of a signal for successful transmission to a remote communication device.
Many of these communication devices are portable devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, and other portable communication devices. These portable communication devices typically rely on a limited power source, such as a battery, to perform the various intended operations. A limited power source typically has a continuous use lifetime that depends on the amount of power used by the portable device. It is generally desired to extend the continuous use lifetime as much as possible. Accordingly, portable communication devices are more frequently designed to consume less and less power.
Accordingly, an amplifier that consumes less power and/or is more efficient in amplifying a signal is desirable for such communication devices.